Instagram will now filter out bullying comments

Instagram is updating its offensive comment filter this week, expanding it to automatically filter out bullying comments “containing attacks on a person’s appearance or character, as well as threats to a person’s well-being or health.” The comment filter was originally introduced last year, with a focus on toxic and divisive comments, but the update today broadens what gets hidden to include the aforementioned types of comments. Users will also be able to disable the filter if they’d like to see the unedited comments on their feeds as well, but it will be enabled by default.

How to filter comments on Instagram

What types of comments will the filter actually hide? Well, the tool is geared to sift through and block nasty comments on a person’s appearance or character, as well as any threats to a person’s well-being or health. Instagram’s new filter will also keep track of repeated issues so that the app can step in if a situation becomes threatening. You might be wondering if the tool is “smart” enough to block a cruel comment in any other language besides English. And the answer is yes. Yes, it is. The filter can sift through English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, German, Russian, French, Japanese, and Mandarin for now. Instagram plans to offer it in other languages in the future, too.